1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a process for diagnosing malignancies. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a non-invasive process for detecting high risk, incipient, and developed cancer tissue from secretions collected from the skin overlying the tissue under examination.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Several methods have been used in the prior art for diagnosing malignant cancerous tissue in various parts of the human body. As is well known, biopsy (excision) of a suspected cancerous tissue and subsequent histological examination of a section of the excised tissue usually provides information with substantial certainty about the malignancy or benign nature of the tissue under examination. In addition, x-ray examination usually also enables a physician to detect malignant tumors with substantial certainty. Still further, certain tumors such as tumors of the breast, may be detected by simple palpation, although the benign or malignant nature of a tumor must be confirmed by other methods.
Significant disadvantages of the prior art methods for diagnosing cancerous growth are the following. The prior art diagnostic methods are either uncertain (palpation), or invasive to the patient's body (biopsy). Even examination of a body portion suspected of cancer by X-ray is not without significant risk, because exposure to X-rays may have harmful effects and may even trigger cancerous growth. Furthermore, biopsy and X-ray examinations are procedures which require attention by highly trained medical personnel.
Thus it is apparent from the foregoing that neither biopsy nor X-ray examination is well suited for inexpensive mass screening of patients for detection of cancerous tissue. More particularly, neither biopsy nor X-ray examination is well suited for mass screening of female patients for breast cancer.
Another very significant disadvantage of prior art diagnostic methods for detection of cancer is that the prior art methods often fail to detect the cancer in its high risk, or developing stage.
Since the chances of curing a malignancy detected in its developing or incipient stage are significantly higher than curing a well developed or advanced cancer, it is clearly desirable to provide a method which is capable of detecting cancer in its early, incipient stage. It is further desirable to provide a inexpensive, non-invasive diagnostic test for cancer which is suitable for mass screening applications. However, the prior art has, by and large, failed to provide a diagnostic test satisfying the above-noted objectives.